Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

Relda

I'm sure I'm late to the party on this but I don't remember this SE from the first time I did Herceptin - constant runny sometimes bloody nose??  I might have to knock over a store to afford the kleenex!!  Anyone else have this issue?

Amelie_Rose

Yaya, yes.  I have had 10 so far.  My skin has a bit of a tan but I feel fine.  I just worry about long-term SE's on ribs and lungs.  I was planning on starting Arimedex on Sunday (1/15) but decided to wait a bit more.  Maybe I'll start on Feb. 1st.  My RO said lots of women start after radiation.  I was wondering about the timing and not giving those ER+ cells a chance to recur.

Relda, I had a running nose after my 4th tx.  Are you still doing TC or just Herceptin alone?  I have no SE with herceptin alone so far.  The chemo drugs can cause a running nose but it goes away when you are done. 

Awnooo

Hello! Im doing TCH and on the second treatment i had a bloody nose on a cauterized nostril (has not bleed in 18 years) but it didnt happen on the 3rd or 4th one. I would check with you onc.

CUTE CAT!!

Awnooo

All ladies that have had a BMX..help!!

My PS appt. is tomorrow, and I am not sure what to ask. Any advice??

I'm getting saline implants, no alloderm.

Thank you!!

Relda

Actually I haven't started chemo yet, I'm doing radiation first, then will start the taxotere and carboplatin mid/end of Feb.  But I did start herceptin in December, had my 3rd tx week before last.  So its just been Herceptin alone for right now.  I do remember the runny nose during chemo from last time cause all my nose hairs went away, but I still have them now and yet my nose is constantly runny and I get a bloody nose in one nostril once a day it seems.   I see my onc a week from today so I will mention it then.  Weird.

SpecialK

Awnooo - why no Alloderm?  Saline can be heavy and less squishy.  I don't know if you should be concerned with the implant bottoming out, but ask about that.

Amelie - My MO wanted me to start with Femara because it had a slight edge in the prevention numbers, as long as I could handle any SE's.  Only one so far is aching, but I have concerns about bone loss.  I have an appt with him on Thurs for the last HErceptin (yay!) and we will be discussing then.

Relda - chemo will lower your platelet count and you may have bloody nose(s) throughout. Platelets are your clotting factors.  When they are low your blood has a harder time clotting.  They should be tracking your count every time you have a CBC (should be weekly, or at least every tx) so they will know if they get too low.  Otherwise it is just a nuisance, but not dangerous.  Also, all your soft tissue, like in your nose, is inflamed from chemo.  I still get some pinkish tinge on the tissue on Herceptin alone.  Also - for me, the runny nose has continued all through the Herceptin alone (sorry!).

Awnooo

Thanks for reply SpecialK! I decided that mainly bcse I felt uneasy about the cadaver skin part, rejection is possible right? andsurgeon said ok as long as i dont decide to go too big but all that being said, it's not a final decision, you think if I go for A-B cup that should be of concern?

SpecialK

awnooo - hopefully not if you stay smallish.

Relda

Thanks Special K, I know about the WBC's I did chemo 5 years ago - but not having done any chemo yet this time I'm just surprised its happening with herceptin alone.  Just my luck I guess lol

SpecialK

relda - platelets and WBC are different, and do different things in the body, but Herceptin alone can cause a drop in either unfortunately. 

Relda

Oooops sorry meant to say CBC's not WBC.  I guess that must be it, just bums me out cause it didn't happen the first time.

SpecialK

relda - sorry I can't remember, did you go straight to Herceptin and bypass chemo because you had done it the first time?

Amelie_Rose

SpecialK, concerning bone loss, any thougths on biphosphonates?  I will be discussing them with my MO next month.  They've been shown in the latest studies to prevent recurrence and they also prevent bone loss.  Glad to hear that you have no other symptoms with Femara.  I've heard that it also causes hair thinning.  Have you found that to be true? 

Relda

No,  I am doing a clinical trial - "A Phase II Study of Repeat Breast Preserving Surgery and 3D Conformal Partial Breast Re-Irradiation (PBrl) for Local Recurrence of Breast Carcinoma."  I had a lumpectomy in December and will start radiation this Monday.  One of the protocols of the trial is that you must start the radiation within 42 days of the lumpectomy, so I will be doing rads before chemo this time.  First time around I had a large tumor (10cm) so I did chemo first, then lumpectomy and rads last.  My path on this journey has never been a conventional one

SpecialK

amelie - No, my hair is doing OK.  I actually have some hair pics but have not posted them yet!  I am taking biotin, so maybe that has been enough to counteract any potential thinning.  My MO has ordered - and will have ready - a dose of Prolia, which is both preventive and treating for bone loss.  He prefers it to some of the other treatments because of the preventive capability.  Years ago (I have been osteopenic for a while) I tried both Actonel and Boniva but I did get massive heartburn from them.  I had a Nissen fundoplication surgery in '95 because I had serious reflux, so I really don't want to tempt fate and screw that up.  I am leaning toward the injectible because I won't have the heartburn issue.  I am aware of the potential SE from it, but I also don't want to be crippled with osteoporosis.  I had a bone density done the same day as the fateful mammo/US so I got a copy of it to take with me on Thurs to the MO to see if he wants another one done now (18 months later) or just take the first dose of the drug.

SpecialK

relda - I am glad that you are enrolled in this trial, I am hoping that it means they are watching you very closely, which is good!  Did you do TCH the first time?

Relda

Yes I will be getting ultrasounds (which is how the found the recurrence, not by the Mammo ) every 4 mos for the first year, every three months the second and third years, and every 6 mos for the 4th and 5th years. My onc will order a yearly MRI as well and I will continue to see him every 3 months after tx ends as I do now. So I will be very closely followed and if it comes back then I will go for the bi-lat. The first time around I did AC for 4 rounds and then Taxol for four rounds. I started Herceptin when I started the taxol.

dragonfly1

I had Herceptin #17 today and was expecting one more based on what the MO told me previously-she had even made the appt for it. Well, she did some recalculating and informed me that today was the final Herceptin!!! Hooray, what a nice surprise:) She wants to see me again in 4 weeks after I have my mammogram and then we can discuss what to do about the port...

SpecialK I think you finish tomorrow, right? Big congrats! What an incredibly long year we've had...

Omaz

dragonfly - Whoo Hooo!!!  Is another skydive in the works??

anafoefana

Dragaonfly and SpecialK- congrats to both of you!   I remember when I was counting down TCH last fall and thinking it would never end. Hearing your success is encouraging to the rest of us who are still going through it.  My last Herceptin won't be until July,  but it will be here soon! 

Omaz

SpecialK - BIG Congrats to you too!!!

Awnooo

Special K is that right? Congratulations!!! and Thanks for all!!!

\//

ILBoysMom

Anyone know how long it takes after finishing TCH for our brains to work normally again?  I am 16 weeks PFC, and I forgot that I had already bought my son a new pair of snow boots.  Took him to the store, and while the salesclerk is helping us he explains TO HER that his Mommy wanted him to have another pair because I lost the other ones.  I didn't even remember buying them.  We went home and found them in the garage.  I never did stuff like this before!

SpecialK

dragonfly - yes, tomorrow is the last one!  Can't believe it - thanks for being my triplet through this - it has been a long year!  I sent you a PM.  My DH asked me if I want to go out tomorrow night to celebrate, I thought that was sweet.

Thanks everyone!  I am not going anywhere - even though I will be done I will still stay here on the TCH thread!

Omaz

SpecialK and dragonfly - I can't remember the name of the third member of your triplet  ??

SpecialK

omaz - LisaGH.  I think her MO is having her do 18 H's so she has another one to go.

Omaz

thanks SpecialK!  I remember when you all started treatment.  Nice of your husband to offer dinner, a sweetie!

LisaGH

Congrats to you Dragonfly- Way to go! Finishing up! So happy for you. SpecialK-good luck tomorrow. Hope it goes well.

Omaz- I am the last of the triplets. I try to keep up w/ the boards, but am not on here as much. 

After going back to work, changed to a new job. It's great, but less time on the computer except for work.

I had my next to the last Vitamin H yesterday.I was at work, went to the treatment, then back to work. Weird but glad to be able to do that.

I have one more Herceptin in three weeks. My MO said yesterday he wants me to get the port out after that. I asked how often he'd see me. He said every 3-6 months for 5 years. Is that what your docs tell you?

 I am nervous about the next phase. I am too busy to stay worried all the time. As stressful as treatment has been, the idea of no more is scary too. Sounds silly I know.

I thank you all for being my friends. Sunday will be one year since BMX. What a year. I try to keep in touch, but not as good as my triplets & the rest of yall.

Still feel you are some of the best ladies in the world. Nothing like having folks who know how it feels to be where we are. 

Omaz

LisaGH - Hi!  I had 18 herceptin too.  I see my onc or onc PA every 3 months so far.  I thought of herceptin as a security blanket but I was glad to be done and to get the port removed.  I actually got my last herceptin on a Tuesday and had my port out on that Friday.  Congrats to you!!!

YaYa5

specialK and dragonfly, so happy for you both.  congratulations!!